A coffee review? On a stationery blog?
Have I finally lost my mind?
Nope. Not yet, anyway. Here's my logic:
Lots of people who love stationery are writers, and vice versa.
Many writers like a good brew to fuel a long writing session (myself included).
Even those who aren't writers probably enjoy a coffee now and then. If you don't, you can skip past this post, but if you agree with me, this post is for you!
I came across London Nootropics while scrolling through Google to find some new java to try. I saw a 12 sachet box of their coffee for £15, and felt compelled to find out why this stuff is so pricey.
It's because this coffee contain extracts from nootropic plants (coffee itself is a nootropic, but the caffeine can also have negative effects). They have adaptogenic properties - I know, I didn't have a clue what that meant either, so I read their 'What Are Adaptogens?' page to find out.
In their words 'nootropics are brain-boosters: they are known to enhance cognitive performance and improve brain health'.
They add extracts from plants, such as Ashwagandha and Lion's Mane mushroom, to their coffee. These roots, mushrooms and leaves have been used as traditional medicine for centuries in the regions where they are found.
I was now interested. If this coffee really was adaptogenic and would 'help physical, mental and emotional stressors', maybe the price tag was reasonable. However, before one drinks something containing extracts of odd plants with weird names, one should probably research it and get an opinion from somebody who isn't trying to sell you the product.
Multiple websites said the exact same thing as London Nootropics. In fact, the adaptogens found in these plants promote the growth of new brain cells so effectively that they are likely to be used in dementia treatments some time in the future.
Having confirmed that adaptogens are not harmful in the concentrations added to the coffee, I contacted the company to see if they'd be interested in sending me samples for a review.
A few days later, sachets of each of their coffees arrived - Grind (renamed Flow, but I'll refer to it as Grind here to avoid confusion), Mojo and Zen. I approve of the biodegradeable sachets, and the cards that come with them tell you about the ingredients that they contain.
That day, I tried Zen, as drinking three coffees in one day seemed like a bad idea! As it is instant coffee, it is very quuick and easy to make. Simply cut open the sachet, and tip the contents into a mug. Pour in some boiling water, and stir until the powder is dissolved. The water will turn a lovely deep brown, and smells rather like fresh coffee from a cafetiere. In fact, it smelled better than quite a few instant coffees I've had in the past - before dissolving, it had a deep, rich chocolatey smell with an undertone of caramel. After dissolving, it didn't smell like this any more but had a lovely coffee scent instead.
First, I tried it black. It wasn't as acidic or bitter as most regular instant coffees, but it didn't have the distinct flavour of a fresh brew made from ground beans. I added two teaspoons of sugar and a splash of milk to see if this would improve it. It did, but it still wasn't quite as strong as a fresh coffee.
Do bear in mind that I usually drink dark roasts, so I'm used to a much stronger flavour. In my opinion, London Nootropic instant coffee has a better flavour than your average instant brew, because it lacks the acidity that most are riddled with. I could drink Zen black quite happily.
Zen contains CBD and Ashwagandha, which is meant to 'promote a sense of peace, combatting the effects of stress, tension annd irritibility'. Also, the nootropics help to combat the negative effects of caffeine, such as jitteriness.
Did the supercoffee work? Well, it didn't have any negative effets. I wasn't particularly stresed whe I drank it and I don't usually get caffeine jitters, but I did drink it around 5PM and it didn't affect my sleep schedule. I think that to judge the full effect, I'd have to try drinking it for a week, but I have one sample of each coffee, so I'm trying my best!
The next morning, I had a very important magazine article to write, over 1000 words long, and I needed to not mess it up because I might never get such an opportunity again.
This, admittedly, intmidated me. I felt inclined to leg it, as fast as I could, away from my phone and Bluetooth keyboard writing setup.
Instead, I reluctantly marched myself out of bed and downstairs to the kettle to make a cup of Grind, hoping that Lion's Mane mushroom and Rhiodola really do help you 'discover motivation, mental clarity and focus'.
When I opened the sachet, it smelt very similar to Zen, and after dissolving it, it looked the same too (which is why I won't post a picture of it this time, or it might get repetitive). Because Zen was so pleasant on its own, I omitted milk and only added a teaspoon of sugar. I parked myself in front of my desk, ready to start work on the Very Important Article, and took a sip.
It tasted like... Turkish Delight?
I looked at it in confusion.
An odd thing for it to taste like, but luckily I love Turkish Delight! There was a subtle bitter note, but it wasn't very noticeable through the pleasant floral favour.
I continued to drink it as I wrote the whole article. I had expected to write it over several days, but I actually got a whole draft of 1400 words finished that day! I can't be certain that it was the coffee that did it, but I'd say that it certainly didn't detract from my productivity, and it tasted delicious!
Finally, the next morning, I tried Mojo. It contains Cordyceps mushroom extract and Siberian Ginseng, which promote 'physical endurance, strength and vitality'. I don't regularly do intense exercise, so I decided to see if it would help me finish the seemingly edless edits to my article.
I noticed a more bitter flavour than the other coffees, but it had a pleasant, mild coffee flavour and I only added a little sugar. It didn't have the surprising floral notes of Grind, but it still, overall, tasted lovely.
Did I get all those edits finished? Yes, I did, and ended up with a pretty great article after listening to lots of brilliant ideas a good friend and the editor had. Did the coffee give me the 'mojo' to spend all day writing? Again, I can't be certain, but it couldn't have hurt.
So does this coffee deserve the price tag?
I think the price is a little steep for me to be drinking this on a regular basis, but if I wanted to buy a treat for myself I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a 12-sachet box of Grind. The other two were better than average instant coffee, but the lovely flavour of Grind was particularly good.
As I mentioned before, I'd have to drink this coffee for a week or so before commenting further on the adaptogenic effects but I didn't experience any 'jitters' or other unwanted side-effects. The extracts are proven by scientific research to promote brain health when consumed in small quantities, so this could indeed be a great way to increase focus and concentration safely and naturally.
Disclaimer: London Nootropics provided these samples for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed in this article are my own.